The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers finally lifted the division one trophy.
A 15-14 win over the Royal Logistic Corps in the final saw the team secure the title – ending a 20-year wait for glory in the competition.
The match was a repeat of last season’s showpiece, which the Loggies won by just one point, and the result formed a rich reward for the efforts made to improve REME netball in recent seasons.
“I’m really proud of the resilience of our girls, especially the slightly older ones, to keep coming back year on year,” Lt Col Laura Ellis, the team’s coach and goal shooter, told SoldierSport.
“Up until three years ago we were bottom of the rankings, losing by scorelines of 20-0.
“But we had three new players come in and they have made a real difference. They were identified at 8 Training Battalion and all three have gone on to make army squads, with two representing the UK Armed Forces.”
Of the three, LCpl Shema Wright and LCpl Torika Soso played in the tournament and assumed starring roles in what was a tough two days on court.
“Numbers were down as people are busy, but the calibre and standard – particularly in division one – was very high,” Ellis, who is also chair of REME netball, continued.
“We trained with our men’s team in the build-up, and that helped. They are a fledgling outfit; we have the inaugural men’s corps championships coming up and hopefully we can enter a squad.”
There was another close encounter in the division two final as the B teams of the Adjutant General’s Corps and Royal Army Medical Service faced off, with the former winning 9-7.
